


Justice

by Dandy



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2019-11-14 13:10:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18053105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandy/pseuds/Dandy
Summary: Small town boy Goro Akechi, convicted of a crime he didn't commit, transfers to Shujin Academy in Tokyo, takes up residence in the attic of a coffee shop, and keeps his head down while he waits out his probation. Or at least that was the plan, but fate has a funny way of working out. There are corrupt adults everywhere, but with his newfound powers, maybe he can bring justice to those who need it most.And if he can get the attention of the seductively charming Detective Prince, that would be just the cherry on top.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As the summary implies, this is a retelling of Persona 5, with Akechi and the protagonist's places in the story reversed. They still have their canon personalities, with the glaring difference that Akechi's pleasantness isn't hiding his crazypants murder side anymore.
> 
> I didn't tag it all, but this fic will touch on many of the same themes as the game, including abuse, sexual harassment, suicide, mental illness, etc. For the most part I plan to stay fairly in line with the things the game would show, but please keep that in mind.
> 
> I can't promise regular updates, but I do hope you enjoy!

Cold water splashes across his face, abruptly yanking him into consciousness. A man stands over him, two more behind him, tall, imposing figures wearing dark suits and darker expressions. Limp, soggy bangs hang in his eyes, obscuring his vision, but he can see syringes on the ground nearby, and can feel handcuffs chafing his wrists, and it tells him all he needs to know.

“No dozing off.”

He tugs at the handcuffs, willing his arms to break free, but there's no give. They'd be poor police officers if there were any.

“You still don't get it, do you? Give it up!”

The man's statement is punctuated with a kick, sending him tumbling to the ground, the chair falling behind him. Pain billows out like fire over his side, his arm, his head, and for a moment his vision clouds.

The heel of a shoe now, grinding into the side of his face. Everything is brought back into sharp focus. The man in the suit is asking if he wants another shot. His eyes wander past him, to something up near the ceiling.

“Huh?” The man follows his gaze, then reaches down and yanks him up by his hair, barking, “What about the camera? You thinking it can be used as video evidence?”

He stays silent, and after a moment his head is dashed against the ground again. “Didn't you hear my question? Answer!”

He stays silent, and the toe of the shoe this time slams hard into his stomach.

The man goes down the list of crimes he's allegedly committed. Blackmail, possession of illegal weapons. The worst...

_Manslaughter?_

It all feels wrong, but his head is swimming. It must be the drugs – all his memories are clouded by a fog, and he can't remember what happened. But he feels like it can't be true.

“All those crimes led by a punk like this. And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it, huh...?” The man watches him only a moment longer, then spits, “You should know your place,” before motioning to one of the other thugs in suits behind him.

He's thrown onto his back, hands unshackled. A clipboard is thrust toward him.

“Sign here. It's a confession under your name.”

He swats the clipboard away.

“I see...”

The man gets to his feet.

“I need your hand to sign this, but...”

The sole of the shoe now, this time coming down so hard on his leg there's a crunch. He cries out in pain, curling in on himself instinctively to protect the injured limb from the man towering above him.

“I don't care if you end up losing a leg.”

The pressure doesn't let up. He screams out again, but no one comes to his aid. He's alone.

Finally, the man lets up, and he's hauled back up straight. The clipboard is there again, and this time he takes it.

“Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece,” the man breathes into his face, suddenly very close. “We're going to make you understand one has to take full responsibility for their actions.”

He takes the pen. And he signs his name.

Goro Akechi.

* * *

“Start from the very beginning...”

* * *

The hustle and bustle of Shibuya station was nothing like Goro had ever experienced before. The sea of people around him left him feeling small and insignificant, anonymous, and more free than he had in the last few months.

No one giving him odd looks before quickly averting their eyes. No whispers about his assault record. No conversations hushed in case he might overhear.

For a second, he really started to think he might be able to gain a fresh start here in Tokyo. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad? Or perhaps he was just grasping for the silver lining, as usual.

He stood only briefly on the sidewalk before he was swiftly jostled along, carried off by commuters and students on their way home. Gripping his bag tightly, he pulled up his phone, scrolling to find a train schedule so he knew where to go. But before he could find it, a strange red icon of an eye appeared, filling his screen. Perplexed, Goro tapped on it.

And, suddenly, the hustle and bustle around him stilled.

The people froze in place, their conversations dying mid-sentence on their lips. Feet were left dangling in the air, arms mid-swing, and not a soul seemed to even breath.

Panicked, Goro turned, expecting resistance but finding he, thankfully, could still move. He scanned the crowd for some answer to the strange phenomenon, and that's when he saw it.

A strange blue flame was bursting forth from across the street. After a moment, it seemed to take shape, that of some sort of monstrous being with a wide chest and billowing cape. It smiled at him, a large red fiery grin.

He saw himself grinning inside the flames.

And then, as suddenly as it started, it was over. The people were moving again, going about their day unawares that anything had happened.

What _had_ happened?

For a moment, Goro doubted that he had seen anything at all. He hadn't been sleeping well in... well, not for a long time. Maybe the combination of a new place and his tired mind caused some sort of hallucination?

He almost would have believed that, but... the icon was still there on his phone. It looked like a normal app icon now, sitting unassumingly on his homescreen.

_I might want to have a better look at that later._

And so Goro left it there, though careful not to try and open it, and slipped into the crowd on his way toward the next train. He had a new home to get to.

* * *

Sojiro wasn't sure what he was expecting, but the boy in front of him was not it.

For one thing, he didn't look much like a punk. Though his brown hair was long and a bit on the shaggy side, his khakis looked like they had been pressed (a teenager who actually irons?) and he was wearing a sweater vest. It gave him the image of a preppy choir boy, not a delinquent convicted of assault.

He came in and politely waited until Sojiro finished with his customers, a pleasant curve to his lips, and gave a nod of his head to the elderly couple as they walked out. Sojiro grumbled to himself for a moment, cursing his bad luck in customers, before turning his attention to the kid.

“So you're the guy? Goro Akechi, right?”

“Yes.” He inclined his head again, showing teeth now. It was almost blinding. “And you must be Sojiro Sakura-san, correct?”

“Yeah. You'll be in my custody for the next year.”

The kid actually bowed then, saying cheerfully, “Then I'll be in your care. Thank you, Sakura-san.” He straightened up again, his brow furrowed now. “I hope it wasn't an imposition.”

Nothing about this interaction was going how he expected. Sojiro paused for a moment, looking the kid up and down. It's hard – if this was an act, he had it perfected.

“It's not. Your parents know one of my customers, and... Well, whatever.” He shrugged. “Hmph. Here I was thinking some unruly brat would show up, but you're...” He trailed off, then shook his head and turned around. “It doesn't matter. Follow me.”

He led the kid up the stairs to the attic, kicking some trash aside when he reached the landing. It was a disaster up here, he knew, but no matter how polite this kid might act, he still had an assault conviction on his record. There was no way he was letting him stay in his house, not while Futaba was there.

“This is your room,” said Sojiro, pausing a moment for dramatic effect. He spared a glance at the boy to see how he was reacting, but he looked politely unreadable, eyes trailing around the room before settling on Sojiro's face. “It's on you to clean it up. I assume you don't have a problem with that?”

Another of those blinding smiles. “No problem at all, Sakura-san.”

“Good.” Sojiro nodded. “I'll bring you sheets for your bed.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He was really laying it on thick, wasn't he? Sojiro focused on the room so he wouldn't have to look at his face. “I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble.”

“Of course. I'd hate to do anything to inconvenience you.”

 _Geez..._ Sojiro sighed, then looked back at him. He still had that polite, pleasant smile on his face.

“I got the gist of your situation,” he segued abruptly, and Akechi's eyebrows rose, though his smile didn't drop. “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?”

He gave a small nod. “Those are the basics, yes.”

There it was, finally. Something to the kid other than that aggressive politeness. Sojiro seized that moment to give him a lecture.

“That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?” Not giving him a chance to answer, he barreled on. “And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which you parents also approved.” The kid's mouth closed, and Sojiro felt a surge of self-satisfaction that he wasn't fighting this.

“In other words,” he finished smugly, “they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass.”

For a moment, the boy was quiet, before finally giving a nod, the smile stretching over his face again. “You've certainly done your homework, Sakura-san.”

Sojiro frowned. “Don't sass me, kid.” Akechi opened his mouth, but Sojiro continued before he could speak. “And don't talk about anything unnecessary. I _am_ in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted.”

“Of course, Sakura-san. I understand.” And then, that smile again. “I wouldn't want to cause you or my parents any more trouble.”

“You better not, or you're going straight to juvie.” Sojiro averted his eyes again, so he wasn't sure, but he was fairly certain that wiped the smile away.

“We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that will accept someone like _you_ , you know?” He sighed. “What a waste of my Sunday...”

With finality, he turned, gesturing at a cardboard box in the floor. “Your luggage arrived. I've put it over there.”

And with that, he brushed past the kid, and left him to his own devices. He had a cafe to run, after all.

He didn't feel bad at all when Akechi called after him, “Thank you for your help again, Sakura-san.”

* * *

Cleaning took a few hours, but it gave Goro time to think, and reflect.

Arrest, probation... He understood all of it in theory, but it was still surreal to think about. He'd been a normal kid, living his life mostly happily, up until the moment of his arrest. Everything had changed completely then – the way people looked at him, the way even his parents talked to him. For a time, he hadn't even been sure he would keep his (relative) freedom.

And all because of that man...

His hands gripped the mop until his knuckles were white, and Goro took a deep, steadying breath. He should try to turn his mind off it for now. He'd thought about this time and again, after all, and his thoughts would only run in circles.

Cleaning is the sort of mindless task that lends itself to circular thoughts, though, and Goro couldn't entirely escape it as he worked. The memories danced through his mind: the screams of a woman, the thought that he couldn't stand by and ignore something like this, the fury on the man's face, blood dripping from where his forehead collided with the guardrail...

It had looked bad. So bad, that no one believed Goro when he said it was all a misunderstanding. Or perhaps that was by design. That man had seemed to have an in with the police, after all...

After brooding for awhile, his thoughts turned to the events of earlier that afternoon, and suddenly he remembered the mysterious app. How could he forget such a thing? Though he supposed he could be forgiven – with so many big changes happening at once, it was understandable that things, even such bizarre things, might slip through the cracks.

But the attic looked about as clean as he could make it before he lost all daylight, and Goro felt his curiosity growing. His phone was sitting on the now cleared table, plugged into its charger. Setting his duster aside, he went over to it, unlocked the screen, and scrolled through his homescreen to the app.

There it was, the same as it had been. The eye staring at him was creepy, and yet enticing somehow. He felt strangely drawn to it, like something inside him wanted to use it, even if he still wasn't sure what it was for.

Opening strange apps wasn't a good idea, he knew; it would be a miracle if his phone weren't already infected with some nasty virus. But just a peek couldn't hurt more, right?

His finger hovered over the app, but just at that moment, footsteps on the stairs signaled Sakura's return.

“What the heck?” Sakura looked around the room, visibly surprised. Straightening up, Goro took a sidestep away from his phone, slipping a pleasant smile back on his face. “I heard you making all sorts of noise up here but I didn't think you were cleaning.”

He surveyed Goro's work, then gave an appreciative nod, grinning. “Actually, this place doesn't look too bad.”

 _There's still plenty of your junk left in here, you know,_ Goro thought, but kept his smile up. “Well, if I'm going to be living here, I want to keep it tidy.”

“Sure. That's a given.” He shrugged. “Why don't you go to bed for tonight? You don't have anything better to be doing, right? I'm going to close up shop and get out of here myself.”

“Yes, I think I'll do that.”

“I won't be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late, you got that?”

“I won't,” Goro started to say, but before he could finish, Sakura had turned and descended the stairs.

Goro waited until he was well away, then sighed, casting his eyes back to the phone. The clocked showed it was around nine; a little early for bed, yet.

He took the phone in hand and went to sit on his bed, opening it up to look at the app again. He still wasn't sure messing with it was the right choice, but he couldn't deny that his curiosity was getting the better of him.

After a long moment, he decided to get it over with, and tapped the icon.

A moment passed. Two. Three.

Nothing happened.

Goro let out the breath he'd been holding in a disappointed huff. After all that build-up, too...

“A little anticlimactic, wasn't it?” he said to the air, giving a light chuckle as he did. He tried not to think about how empty the attic was around him.

He set the alarm on his phone, then changed for bed. Then he laid back down, grimacing at how lumpy the mattress was. _I'll get used to it,_ he reassured himself, hoping it was actually true.

It still wasn't all that late, but as Goro lay still on the uncomfortable mattress, he felt his eyelids begin to droop. _Guess I was more tired than I thought. Must be..._

He was asleep before he could finish the thought.

* * *

When he awoke, he was lying on a hard metal cot in a jail cell.

Sitting up and taking stock, he found his hands shackled together, leg chained to a heavy ball. Putting his head in his palm, he tried to remember how he had ended up here, but his mind was a blank. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep in Leblanc's attic.

A chuckle brought him out of his thoughts, and he turned in time to see that two girls had appeared outside the cell door. They wore matching uniforms, like those of prison guards, and they watched him with expressions of cold amusement.

He approached the doors, opening his mouth to ask – but the two girls turned aside, and, beyond them, he saw a strange man with a long nose seated at a desk, as though this were all perfectly normal.

“Trickster,” he said, extending a hand towards him in greeting. “Welcome to my Velvet Room.”

* * *

“What...? How much of that drug did they give you?”

“I'm sorry... I guess it is a bit of a fever dream, isn't it?”

* * *

“So you've come to, Inmate?”

“The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream.”

“You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!”

Goro leaned against the bars, peering out. He didn't bother trying to fight – it was clear the door was locked. If he wanted out of here, it would take something other than brute force. So thinking, he turned his attention on the man at the desk.

“And who is your master, that I might properly give my regards?” he asked, voice smooth. One of the girls rapped on the bars with her baton, but the man held up a hand to steady her.

“That would be I, Igor. Remember it well.” He seemed to smile permanently, the words flowing out of him despite the too slight movements of his mouth. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance.”

“And what is this place?”

“Quiet, Inmate!” barked one of the girls, rapping on the bars again, and he nodded apologetically at her. Igor, at least, didn't seem to mind the question.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a contract may enter.”

“...I don't remember signing any contract,” Goro countered, cautiously. Whatever this man was looking for, it worried him.

“I summoned you here to speak of important matters,” Igor replied, undeterred. “It involves your life as well.”

“How so?”

Igor looked away then, glancing around the room.

“Still, this is a surprise... The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such... You truly are a prisoner of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.”

Red and blue lights flashing, a charge, a trial-

“No more ruin than has already visited me, I hope,” said Goro, smiling pleasantly. The girl rapped so hard on the bars this time that they rung loud for many seconds, forcing Goro's hands away from the vibrations.

“Don't take this lightly, Inmate!”

“Our master would not spend time on you if the matter were not grave.”

They turned back to Igor, who had not stopped smiling the entire time.

“I speak of the end to everything.”

Goro pulled back, but tried to keep his expression impassive. He had no way to know if this man was telling the truth, and the fact that he was currently locked up didn't do much to encourage trust. But still... it was a sobering thought.

“However,” continued Igor, “there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be rehabilitated, rehabilitated toward freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin.”

He regarded Goro for a moment. “...Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?”

“...Well.” Goro smiled. “I'd certainly rather avoid ruin.”

“Very well.” Igor drummed his fingers on his desk. “Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.”

The girls turned back toward him then, moving smartly like soldiers. “Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here.”

“Hmph. Not even trying to struggle?” Caroline glared at him contemptuously. “Guess you finally shut your smart mouth, huh?”

“The duty of wardens is to protect inmates,” Justine cut in. Her voice was much more sedate, though she seemed no more friendly. “We are also your collaborators.” Her voice gained a suddenly sharp edge. “That is, _if_ you remain obedient.”

“I shall explain the role of these two at another occasion,” said Igor, and the girls whipped back around. “Now then, it seems the night is waning... it is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually...”

Then he flicked his hand, and a sharp ringing from a prison bell filled Goro's head. It was so loud, he almost didn't hear Caroline telling him that time was up.

And just like that, he was awake in his bed, the only ringing the sound of his alarm.

* * *

“What happened that day?”

Goro sets his elbows on the table, leaning into his hands for a moment. His head is pounding – the pain is bad, but the drugs that are making his focus swim are far worse. His thoughts keep jumping around, from the events of half a year ago to the events of hours (days?) ago.

Where is his team? Are they alright? Did they escape, or are they here too, in a cold steel box just like him...?

“Akechi-san,” Niijima says, sternly but not, he thinks, unkindly. “Stay with me. I need you to focus, and tell me what happened.”

“...I'm sorry, Niijima-san.” He puts down his hands, giving her a shaky smile. “Those drugs your associates gave me... really did a number on my concentration.”

She sighs, looking down at her notes for a moment. “Those idiots...” She gives a shake of her head, then looks up at him. “It's alright. We'll take it slow. But I need you to think. What happened next?”

“Hmm...” He hums, leaning back in the cold folding chair. “I went with Boss to Shujin.” His smile turns a little mischievous. “They made it clear that they didn't think much of me. I suppose I couldn't ask for any better, with my record.”

Niijima nods. “And then you went home. Nothing else happened?”

“Boss called me. Or, called Leblanc's public phone.” A chuckle. “He said he didn't put men's numbers in his phone.”

She makes a bit of a face at that, but nods. “What did he want?”

A wave of his hand. “Just for me to turn the sign to “Closed” for the night.”

“Alright.” She tilts her head. “There was a terrible subway accident that day. You remember it, don't you? I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the “psychotic breakdown incidents.””

He nods. “It was a bit hard to miss. It was on the news everywhere.”

“Right. One of the victims included a teacher at your high school. On that day, were you still... an ordinary student?”

Goro doesn't answer immediately. He looks down at his hands for a moment, weighing his options, before saying simply, “What do you mean?”

Niijima leans back, folding her arms. “Let me change the question. You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?”

“Yes.”

“An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city... That's what it _should've_ been. What happened around that time?”

She leans towards him, eyes narrowed.

“Tell me everything – truthfully.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sae walked down the stairs, the news about the subway accident still tumbling around in her head. The director was right - this would go straight to the top, and likely result in a number of resignations from leaders in the Ministry of Transport and at the railway company. The fall of titans, so others could take their place… That was how politics worked, after all.

Coming around the railing, she spotted black, frizzy hair. It took a moment before the owner of the hair was in full view - his face tilted down to look at his phone, the glint of lights off his large glasses mostly obscuring his expression. When he heard the clack of her heels nearing, he dropped the hand holding the phone and looked her way.

“...Is there a new case for me?”

His voice was always quiet, polite and unassuming. Really, everything about him was quiet - he moved with a near-silent grace, rarely spoke out of turn, and stood aside during investigations, observing until he had something substantial to say.

And yet, he was good at his job - Sae couldn’t deny that. At only seventeen, he’d already solved numerous cases, and even gained a nickname:

The Second Advent of the Detective Prince.

“Not quite,” she answered, descending the stairs to his level. “I want your opinion on something.”

He gave a nod, turning to follow her as she walked on toward the doors. She could feel his eyes on her back, quietly waiting for her to continue, and she knew he was coming even if she couldn’t hear his footsteps.

“It might take some time. We’ll go to my office.”

There was more silence for a moment, and then he spoke.

“Can we stop at Big Bang Burger first?”

She sighed, looking over her shoulder at him. “Eating fast food all the time isn’t good for you, you know.”

His lips quirked up in a grin. “I don’t have a lot of time to learn how to cook.”

The “because you always keep me late” went unspoken, but she heard it anyway.

“Fine. But no Comet Burgers. You never finish it.”

He nodded, but his grin stayed where it was, and she couldn’t stop the roll of her eyes.

* * *

Goro looked down at himself, smoothing out the wrinkles in his new uniform jacket. He wished he had access to a proper iron… something to think about, later on. Without a full length mirror, it was hard to see the full effect, but he liked it well enough; he could do without the tartan pants, though.

Satisfied, he headed down the stairs, ducking into the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair. It was a bit of a hassle, since he couldn’t keep his personal things in there; he had to climb all the way back up the stairs to put them away again.

_I’m sure I’ll get used to it…_

As he came back down again, he could smell the aroma of freshly cooked food from the front of Leblanc. He’d noticed the day before that curry was on the menu, but wasn’t it a bit early for that…?

“Oh, so you actually are going to school?”

Sakura looked up from where he was perusing through a newspaper, and gestured at the bar. There was a plate of the curry he’d been smelling, and a cup of coffee.

“Here, I’ll feed you. Just make sure you finish it before the customers start coming in.”

“Thank you, Sakura-san.” Goro slipped onto the barstool, taking a sip of coffee as he eyed the curry. He couldn’t deny that the coffee was quite good, as expected of a professional barista, but the curry…

“It’s not going to bite you,” said Sakura, and Goro jerked his head up to find the man staring at him critically. Not wishing to offend him, Goro grabbed his spoon.

“I was just a little surprised. It seems early for curry…”

“Well it’s what I have, so just eat it.”

His words gave no room for argument, so Goro lifted the spoon to his lips, hoping it wouldn’t be too spicy. He closed his mouth around it, letting the flavors hit his tongue.

“...This is delicious.”

It had spiciness, of course, but there was a richness to it, a symphony of flavors that all played together well. It still wasn’t as good as sushi, but if Goro had to eat curry for breakfast, he was happy it was _this_ curry.

“Thanks.” Sakura looked back at his newspaper, leaving Goro to finish in silence.

Once he was done, he got up and took the plate and cup to the sink, rinsing them off before setting them in the bin with the other dirty dishes. When he turned back, Sakura was watching him, but Goro couldn’t quite read his expression.

“...It’s time for you to go.” Sakura turned back to his newspaper, adding, “You better not be late on your first day.”

“Of course.” Goro grabbed his school bag from where he’d left it sitting by the stool. “Well then, I’m off.”

“Oh, flip the sign to “Open” for me,” Sakura called after him, and he nodded. “I’ll leave that to you. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t. Goodbye, Sakura-san.”

After doing as he was told, Goro headed out down the alleyway, squeezing through tight spaces around bikes as he went. He knew he could also get there from the main street, but this seemed a little more adventurous. After all, this was an adventurous day! He was off to a brand new school, where he would meet new people and learn new things!

He just had to stay focused on the silver lining. That was how he was going to get through this.

* * *

He’d memorized the route, and though the trains were crowded and running behind, he still managed to make it to Aoyama-Itchome with plenty of time to spare. Not that he’d been worried - Goro prided himself on his ability to plan ahead, after all.

At least, that’s what he was thinking, until the first drops of rain fell on his head.

_What!?_

Goro frowned up at the sky like it had personally offended him, squinting against the drops falling on his face with increasing frequency. He’d checked, and double-checked, and triple-checked the weather, but it hadn’t said anything about rain. He didn’t have an umbrella.

Making a mental note to buy a collapsible one to keep in his bag, as he should have done from the start, Goro ducked under a storefront awning, hoping it would pass quickly. He pulled his phone from the front of his bag, aiming to open his weather app to see what it was predicting, hopefully correctly this time, but before he could click anything, the red icon with the eye suddenly lit up and grew to cover the screen.

“...Why’s it reacting _now_?” he murmured to himself. He lifted his other hand, finger hovering over the icon, but someone joined him under the awning just before he could press it.

It was a girl, dressed in a fashionable hoodie under her uniform jacket (the same as his, he noted). The hood was pulled back once she was safely out of the rain, blonde pigtails bouncing to freedom. She peered out, downcast, and he felt he could relate.

“Hi there,” he greeted, and she started, turning to look at him.

“Um, hey?” Her eyes searched his face for any sign of familiarity and came up empty.

“I’m Goro Akechi,” he supplied. “I’m a new transfer student at Shujin. I noticed you were also wearing this uniform, so I thought I should introduce myself.”

She continued to stare for a moment, then her eyes lit up with understanding. “Wait. _You’re_ that transfer student?”

“ _That_ transfer student” didn’t bode well. Goro felt his shoulders tense, even as his expression stayed cheerful. “Is that surprising?”

“It’s just that you’re… you’re so…”

But whatever she was going to say was interrupted by a car pulling up in the street in front of them, a man rolling down the window. He was wearing a tracksuit and an easy grin as he leaned out to talk to them.

“Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You’re gonna be late.”

The question was clearly directed at the girl, not him, and she agreed. For a moment Goro feared he would drive off without him, but then the man looked his way.

“You need a lift too?”

“You’re going to Shujin?” It was good to clarify, in case he was misreading the situation. The man just laughed.

“Ah, you must be the new student. I’m a coach at Shujin - name’s Kamoshida.” The girl was in the passenger seat by that point, watching him through the window. He noticed there was something almost… pleading about her expression. “You better get in - I’d hate for you to be late on your first day.”

Something about the way he said it made Goro feel uneasy. He sounded perfectly pleasant, but there was a darkness under the surface, a warning: “Don’t step out of line.”

Still, the girl was giving him that look, and Goro felt, deep in him somewhere, that he couldn’t let her go with this man alone.

So he said, “I’d hate to be late too,” and opened up the back door, climbing into the backseat. Kamoshida turned to smile at him, and Goro saw the same warning.

“Let’s go!”

As they drove away, Goro saw a blond boy running down the street, arm outstretched like he was shouting at the car. But soon he was out of sight, obscured by the rain droplets on the window.

* * *

“This girl… was she-”

“Now now. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Niijima-san.”

* * *

“Freak weather, huh?” Kamoshida leaned forward against the steering wheel, the wipers punctuating his words with a rhythmic thump. “I didn’t see anything about rain this morning.”

“Y-yeah.” The girl drooped against the door, putting as much space between them as she could. As though compensating, Kamoshida backed off the wheel to rest his arm on the middle console. “I totally forgot an umbrella.”

“Well lucky for you, I was here to save you.”

Kamoshida looked away from the road to grin at her, and Goro noticed his eyes weren’t directed at her face. He cleared his throat. “Yes, you certainly did. I’ve learned my lesson about keeping an umbrella in my bag”

Kamoshida jolted a bit, as though he’d forgotten someone else was in the car. His eyes slid up to the rearview mirror to fix Goro with a deceptively pleasant gaze.

“Right. I’m always happy to help.”

His eyes were back on the road again. “I think you’ll find all the teachers at Shujin are accommodating, Akechi. As long as you do your part.”

Goro broke into a wide smile, even as his eyes gained a hard edge. “Then I’m certainly glad to be here.”

“I’m sure you are.”

The car drove around the school and turned into the small lot for teachers. No one else was milling around, having run directly inside from the rain. Goro got out first, glad it had slackened off to a drizzle, and waited for the girl and Kamoshida. He saw them exchange a few words he couldn’t hear, Kamoshida leaning towards the girl and smiling wide while she forced a smile and focused her gaze somewhere to the side of his face.

It didn’t take a detective to see what was going on here.

The two got out finally, the girl moving to join him. Kamoshida took a few steps away, in the direction of the gym.

“It was nice meeting you, Akechi. Takamaki, you can take it from here, right? I think you’re in the same class.”

“Sure!” she answered with forced enthusiasm, smiling at him now. “We’ll get going then - can’t be late!”

“Just a moment,” said Goro, smiling back at her, before turning his attention to Kamoshida, who paused to give him a questioning look. “You surprised me - I don’t remember giving you my name.”

Kamoshida’s brow lifted, before he smiled that same hard-edged grin again. “Well, it’s not often we get transfers. You’d be surprised how fast news travels.”

Then, with a wave, he left. Goro stared after him, mouth pinching in concern. That _definitely_ didn’t bode well.

“...Pervert.”

Goro tore his eyes away from the retreating teacher to the girl beside him. Takamaki’s eyes were boring a hole into the man’s back as he left, white knuckles gripping the strap of her bag.

“I’m… sorry?”

“Kamoshida. That pervert, he-” She blinked, then looked at him as though just realizing he was there. Her expression turned frantic. “I- look, just forget I said anything.”

“It’s alright, Takamaki-san.” He smiled in what he hoped was a trustworthy way. “We still have some time before class. Maybe I can lend an ear?”

She chewed on her lip, seeming to debate it, and probably guessing she’d already said too much to drop the conversation now. Her eyes darted around the area, then she said, “Let’s get out of the parking lot.”

He followed her back toward the street in front of the school, and then across, coming to a stop in an alley. She sighed once they got there, hip cocked with defiance but arms crossed over her chest.

“Kamoshida. He’s the coach of the volleyball team and everyone at school loves him.” She rolled her eyes. “But you saw how he was in the _car_. I thought with you there, maybe he’d lay off, but it didn’t even phase him! Probably because you’re that transfer student…”

“I take it the rumors about me have already started.” He tried to keep the chagrin out of his voice.

“Yeah.” She frowned at him, as though sizing him up - trying to see if he really matched the idea of him being passed around school. “Just… don’t get on his bad side, okay? If you stay out of his way, he’ll probably ignore you. Get on his radar and… well, he treats this place like his castle, and we’re all his little servants.”

Goro took her in, the tired tone in her voice but the defiant look in her eye, the way her arms protected her but her legs kept her steady and grounded. Did she want to give in to this man, or did she want to fight? He couldn’t be sure yet.

“...Why are you on his radar?” he finally asked, and watched her face turn stony.

“That’s none of _your_ business,” she snapped, turning on her heel. “Forget it. Conversation over. Let’s get back to… Ah.”

She stopped, wincing and massaging her temple, and at the same moment Goro felt a sharp pain pulse through his head. The world seemed to shift and tilt around him, his mind buzzing, and then everything snapped back together an instant later, leaving him light-headed and with the distinct feeling that things were very _off_.

In front of him, Takamaki was grumbling, straightening her shoulders back up and re-adjusting her bag. “And now I have a headache. Great. That’s _just_ what I needed today.”

She stomped forward out of the alley, Goro trailing along behind. He couldn’t stop himself from looking around, examining every scrap of trash and crack on the ground. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, and yet he had the distinct feeling that-

“Wh… what!?”

His head snapped up at Takamaki’s shout, and he hurried to catch up to her. She was standing on the sidewalk, staring across the street, frozen with her mouth open.

And when he came up beside her, he couldn’t help but do the same.

“...Our school! It was right here!” Takamaki sounded panicked, desperate. “You saw it, right? The school? It was _right here_!”

“...Yes,” he answered, breathless and unable to tear his eyes away from what he was seeing. “Yes, I saw it.”

“Then where _is_ it!?” She flung her arms out to gesture at all of it - the high stone walls, the towers, the flags, the tall, slit windows. “What is _this_!?”

“If I’m not mistaken… that is a castle.”

She stared at it for a long moment, then crumpled in on herself, holding her head. “This… this has to be a dream, right? I’m dreaming. I’ll wake up in my bed with my fluffy sheets and my exfoliating mask…” She abruptly yanked her sleeve up and shoved her arm in front of his face. “Pinch me!”

Goro pinched her.

“Ow!” She yanked her arm back to herself, huffing. “You didn’t have to do it that hard! ...Oh, wait, crap.” Her head craned back, looking all the way to the top of the castle. “Then… this isn’t a dream. That’s… that’s real.”

“Yes. It seems so.”

Goro looked back and forth down the street, but it seemed to be deserted - strange, because he certainly remembered it being fairly busy before. The feeling of things being _off_ was stronger now, for the obvious reason, but he felt there was something even bigger at play here.

The only way to know was to investigate.

“Wait, where are you going!?” Takamaki yelled after him, and he heard frantic footsteps as she ran to catch up with him. “You’re not going in there, are you?”

“Of course. Otherwise, how would we know what’s going on?”

“Shouldn’t we go look for the police or something?”

“There isn’t anyone else around. And who knows if we’ll even be able to find our way back if we leave.”

“Y-yeah, but…” She trailed off, then seemed to gather her courage in the next breath. “I’m going with you. Safety in numbers, right?”

Goro paused, then looked back at her. She was a girl, of course, but there was a fierceness in her eyes that told him she wasn’t to be taken likely.

So he nodded, and she nodded back, and they walked across the bridge over the moat, hesitating outside the gate.

“By the way, maybe this is an awkward time for it, but we never finished our full introduction.”

“This is a really awkward time for it.” Takamaki looked at him, grinning. “But I’m Ann.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, and she laughed.

“God… so formal, at a time like this…” She shook her head, then looked back into the gloom past the gate. “Alright. Here we go. Into the mysterious castle.”

“Here we go.”


	3. Chapter 3

“No way… It really _is_ a castle.”

Ann stood on the ornate rug in the entry, spinning as she looked at the lavish decorations. It looked just as one would expect from a medieval western castle, save for the fact that it was situated in modern Tokyo.

“Y-you don’t think someone’s playing a prank on us, do you?” she asked, stopping to look at him. Goro had wandered to a pillar, fingers tracing up the stone surface.

“It seems a bit elaborate for a prank… but then, I did hear that people in Tokyo go all out,” he replied pleasantly, flashing her a smile.

“I don’t think anyone in the school would go _this_ far… Oooh, maybe we ended up on some kind of TV show!”

She sounded far too excited by that idea, and Goro frowned. “You can’t be serious…”

“Hey, it makes about as much sense as anything el- huh?”

The sound of clanking metal echoed off the high stone walls, accompanied by the sound of footsteps marching down the stairs and in the halls. Ann quickly scrambled to Goro’s side, and the two of them edged up against the pillar as hulking figures in suits of armor gathered around them.

“Intruders!” barked the one leading the way. “What are you- ah, Princess!?”

“P-princess!?” repeated Ann in shock. They were all looking at her now (or so Goro assumed, but it was hard to tell with the masks they wore). “What are you talk- ow!”

She shifted to glare at him, rubbing her arm where he’d pinched it, and he whispered, “Better to be a princess than an intruder.”

“R-right. I mean, yes!” She looked back at the guards. “I am your princess! Um… Yeah.”

“Princess!” The lead guard came closer, sounding confused. “What are you doing here? And who,” he pointed his spear toward Goro, “is he?”

“He’s my, um… classmate?” Goro nudged her with his elbow. “N-no, wait, my… butler! He’s my butler!”

“Your… butler? Lord Kamoshida didn’t mention anything about a butler…”

“ _Lord Kamoshida_!?” Ann squeaked, and Goro quickly pushed his way in front of her.

“She means, Lord Kamoshida granted his permission only recently. It’s my first day.” He bowed. “Please be patient with me.”

The guards turned to each other.

“I didn’t hear about this…”

“Something seems fishy…”

“Let’s take them to Lord Kamoshida.”

The guards closed in around them, forcing them away from the pillar at spearpoint.

“Lord Kamoshida will sort this out,” said the lead guard, turning to walk toward a passageway. “Follow me.”

* * *

Goro tried to memorize the passageways as they walked, but there were many twists and turns, and the guards brandished their spears any time he slowed down to try to get a better look at a landmark. Next to him, Ann was walking with her back rigid and her head tilted a little too high - he assumed she was trying her best to look regal, but she came off looking like she smelled something terrible instead.

Her acting left something to be desired. They would have to tread carefully.

Finally, they arrived at their apparent destination. It didn’t look too different from other rooms they’d passed, although Goro noticed it had become progressively more dungeon-like as they descended. This room was no different, with bare stone walls and a distinct feeling of dampness.

The room was not empty, and next to him, Goro felt Ann stifle a noise of surprise and disgust.

Kamoshida stood before them, setting aside the papers (“Volleyball Training Regimen”) he’d been looking over as they entered. He was wearing a long cape like an old-timey king, with a distinct heart pattern, and a gold crown on his head. That, and a speedo hiding the worst of him, was _all_ he was wearing, and Goro couldn’t help but cringe. He wondered who had told the man _that_ was a good fashion statement.

“What do you imbeciles want?” he snapped at the guards, his impatient tone so different from the honey-sweet one he’d used this morning. “Don’t you see I’m busy?”

“Apologies, Lord Kamoshida, but we found the princess and her butler wandering around the entrance hall-”

“Butler? What butler?”

The guards parted, and now Ann and Goro were exposed to Kamoshida’s scrutiny. His eyes lit with surprise when he saw them.

“Princess? What are you _wearing_? Where are your normal clothes?”

“But this is- Uh, I mean… I was just, trying a new look? You know, gotta keep up with the latest fashion!”

“But this isn’t what I want you to be wearing,” he said, and Goro saw Ann’s teeth clench in her smile. “You’re not showing enough skin!”

Her smile dropped. “What the hell does that mean-”

Goro quickly stepped forward, trying to draw attention away from Ann before she totally lost it. “It’s a little chilly out today with the rain, so that’s why-”

He was abruptly cut off by Kamoshida slapping him in the face.

“You’ll talk only when spoken to. Do you understand?” Kamoshida snapped at him, and Goro bristled but silenced, drawing back. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ann looked horrified.

“Hey, you can’t just-”

“I _can’t_?” He turned on her now. He was smiling, but his eyes were lit with a dangerous fire. “Did you forget who I am? I am Lord Kamoshida and I can do whatever I want.”

And then he whipped back around and punched Goro right in the stomach, sending him doubling over. Spots exploded behind his eyelids, and he gasped in desperate breaths of air.

“This is clearly an imposter,” Kamoshida said airily, pointing at Ann. “And her companion, merely an intruder. Guards!” The people in armor snapped to attention - Goro could hear the clink of metal dangerously close. “Execute the intruder first.”

“No! Wait! I really am the princess!” Ann pleaded, but she was yanked away from him by the guards with a cry. Goro forced himself back upright just as the guards grabbed at his arms to hold him still, spears and swords pointed menacingly at him. “Get off me! Leave us _alone_!”

The guards pushed him to the ground. Goro’s head bounced off the stone, and he grit his teeth against the ringing in his ears. He tried to push himself up, but he was swiftly kicked in the side for his efforts.

“Stop!” Ann screamed.

“Now now,” he could hear Kamoshida cooing, and he forced his head up despite the threat of imminent death to see. “You might not be the real princess, but you’re pretty enough. Maybe instead of execution, you can be my slave?”

“Takamaki,” he gasped out, reaching for her, but he couldn’t do anything from where he was. A guard stamped down on his back, keeping him in place.

_Useless._

Kamoshida loomed over her, taking her chin in his hand. She tried to pull away, but the guards kept her in place.

“Come on. Give me a kiss…”

Ann kicked her leg straight up into his speedo.

“Ah-AUUUUUGH!”

Kamoshida fell back, clutching himself in an unseemly way. The guards around them froze for a moment, then surged forward toward their king, releasing their captives, a cacophony rising as everyone started speaking at once.

“Lord Kamoshida!”

“Are you okay?”

“That devil woman!”

“Sh-shut up you fools!” he gasped out, and Goro couldn’t help but grin as he pushed himself shakily to his feet. “Forget what I said before. Kill the girl!”

Ann, her smile of triumph wiped from her face, screamed as the guards grabbed her arms again. Goro stepped forward to help, but was quickly forced back by the weapons of the guards. He gritted his teeth, mind racing as he looked around the room for something, anything, to fix this situation, but there was nothing. There were too many of them and he was just one person… what could he do?

But he had to do something.

“Stop.”

Kamoshida turned from where he was watching Ann, glaring down his nose at him. “Hm? What’s that?”

“I said, stop.” Goro glared back, not dropping eye contact.

Kamoshida stepped toward him, getting right in his face. His smile was coming back now.

“That look in your eyes irritates me,” he said, and then kicked Goro once more. Goro went stumbling back against the wall, and the guards were on him again, pinning him.

“Hold him there. His turn will come,” said Kamoshida, turning his focus back to Ann. She scowled at him, but Goro could see the fear in her eyes, the way she pulled back as far from him as she could. The way she had when she’d leaned away in the car.

_I have to do something. I have to!_

And then, time seemed to slow. The guards stilled against him. Kamoshida stood motionless before a nearly frozen Ann.

A voice, at once alien and familiar, echoed in Goro’s mind.

“This is truly an unjust game.”

Goro lifted his eyes, searching for the source of the voice. But there was no one. No one but a butterfly, drifting lazily across the field of his vision.

“But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…”

Time was moving again. But there was a new voice in his head now. It was strong, steady, heroic, and yet with a bit of playfulness to the edges. It was one Goro had never heard before, and yet felt he knew, in the very depths of his soul.

“So that’s it, then? You’re giving up here? You would see this fair maiden dead?”

His eyes searched the room wildly. But there was no one speaking to him. No one else seemed to hear it. His heart pounded in his chest as the voice grew louder.

“You can’t wait for someone to save her. If you want to right an injustice, you have to do it yourself. Or… do you think what you did before was wrong?”

_The screams of a woman, the thought that he couldn't stand by and ignore something like this, the fury on the man's face, blood dripping from where his forehead collided with the guardrail…_

“No. Of course it wasn’t.”

He’d never been more sure of anything in his life.

“I see. I have heeded your resolve.”

Nothing. And then-

_Pain_

It ripped through Goro, emanating from his chest out. He gasped, throwing his head back, barely feeling as it dashed against the stone. His skin was searing, his heart felt like it would burst. He writhed as though to escape his own body.

“Vow to me.”

The voice was still speaking.

“I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and rain down fury on the hearts of the wicked! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!”

A strange calm came over Goro, then. It was a feeling of power, of certainty that, even though the situation was hopeless, he would still prevail. That in the end, the heroes would triumph over the villains, just like in the stories of his childhood.

“That’s enough,” he said, and his voice came out strong, sure, and he couldn’t stop the smile that played across his face.

Kamoshida turned back. Beyond him, he could see Ann, forced back against the opposite wall, her struggles flagging as she watched the scene before her. “What was that…?”

Goro glared at him. “I said, _enough_.”

Kamoshida sneered, crossing the room to stand before him. “You’re that eager to die? Fine!”

He nodded his head at one of the guards, who slammed into his chest with the butt of a spear. A splitting fire cascaded through Goro’s body as he reeled.

And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

“So this was when you learned about that “other world” and what you could do there.”

Goro chuckles, propping his chin in his hand.

“Well… I wouldn’t say I knew what I could do yet. Looking back on it… I wasn’t in control at all.”

* * *

Energy flowed out of his body like a mighty wind, tossing aside a guard’s sword. Goro barely noticed it, preoccupied by the thing that was on his face now, pressed so close to his skin it felt like it had fused there. Reaching up, he felt of it ( _A mask?_ ) and, without thinking further, gripped it with his hands.

And then, with a mighty pull, he ripped it off.

Someone was screaming. He realized after a moment it was him. A warm, wet liquid dripped onto his hands where they held the thing - the mask - but before he could even comprehend that it was blood, that feeling washed over him again.

And he smiled.

Energy engulfed him, blue flames that licked up over his face and down his neck, soon covering his body. In their warmth he felt himself changing, _saw_ change as the black of his school uniform turned to a bright, clean white.

He heard a laugh, triumphant and cheerful, and then the flames rose off his body, coalescing behind him. Red, fiery eyes shone from the conflagration, crinkled as though in amusement for a moment, before the flames took shape: a broad chest, strong arms, a flowing cape, and a bow as tall as the figure itself.

Goro spread his arms, and the figure swept its own hands, throwing back the guards and Kamoshida. Ann slumped on the ground against the wall, mouth wide as she stared at them.

“I am the plunderer of dawn - Robin Hood! I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I will grant you the power to break through this crisis!”

Power. Yes. Goro couldn’t help but smile.

“Give me your power.”

“Very well.”

“Who the hell are you?” Kamoshida snapped, before turning to his guards, splayed out around him. “Start by killing that one!” he commanded, and they were back on their feet, only…

Their helmets came off. And they looked different - floating monsters in the air, holding lanterns, with heads like pumpkins.

Vaguely, Goro was fully aware that this was beyond odd. But with the power of Robin Hood flowing through him, he didn’t feel afraid. As they bore down on him, he reached out his hand, and felt the hilt of a sword land in his palm. His fingers curled around it, and he bent his knees into a fighting stance, sword instinctively held behind him, ready to swing.

“Detest the enemies before you!” Robin Hood’s voice echoed in his ears. “Channel your righteousness, and bring them to justice!”

He raised his hand, signalling to Robin Hood, and a word came to his lips, rolling off his tongue like he’d always known it.

“Kouha!”

A blinding flash of light pierced one of the monsters, causing it to cry out and shrink back. The other one darted in, slashing at him with the dagger in its hand, and Goro grunted, swinging up his blade.

“Strike true!” ordered Robin Hood, and he did, sword slicing into the creature, causing it too to fall back.

“That’s it,” Robin Hood praised, and Goro grinned. “Now, put them back in their rightful place!”

Goro brought up his hand again, and in two blinding flashes, they were gone, dissipating in a cloud of black like they’d never existed.

Goro panted, still grinning as he straightened up. He slid the sword into a hook on his belt, then looked down at his hands, covered now in white gloves. There were red cuffs on his white uniform, with gold accents down the front. He realized that the mask was back on his face now, as he was looking down a long red nose that ended in a point.

“You little…”

He looked up to see Kamoshida approaching him, eyes full of fury. He was reaching out, as though to grab him, but then suddenly he stumbled and fell, missing Goro by inches. Ann was standing behind him, foot still raised from where she had kicked him; Goro wasn’t sure when she’d slipped around behind him, but he didn’t stop to question it as she waved at him frantically.

“Come on!”

The two of them bolted out the door of the room, slamming it shut behind them. Looking around quickly, they spotted a stack of crates on the wall by the doorframe, and had the same thought.

Akechi ran around and pushed on the crates with Ann’s assistance, and they tumbled in front of the door, just as Kamoshida tried to open it. They scrambled away as the door swung out and smacked into the crates, but their impromptu barricade held - for now.

“We need to go,” said Goro, and then they were running.

They sprinted down one corridor, and then another. They darted through a door when they heard clanking footsteps, then hurried down a staircase.

“How the hell do we get out of here!?” snapped Ann as they arrived at the landing. She opened the door only an inch, looking out for guards. The hallway beyond was quiet, other than faint sounds from further away.

“I don’t know, but we can’t go up.” Goro looked back the way they came apprehensively. “They’re looking for us up there.”

“Well, this way seems clear…” Ann looked back at him, and her eyes widened. “Whoa… your uniform is back!”

Goro looked down at himself to find this was true - he was back in his school uniform, bag hanging from his shoulder, like he’d never changed at all. But when he felt for it, he could still feel Robin Hood, though it was like he was far away.

“What even _was_ that?” Ann asked, and Goro sighed, pinching his nose.

“We can figure it out later.” He grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, stepping out into the hall once he was sure it was safe. “Let’s find a way out first.”

“Right.”

They walked as quietly as they could down the hall, which only led one way. Turning the corner, they were greeted with a very different sight than the upper levels of the castle: instead of rich tapestries and fluffy rugs, they found steel bars and harsh stone floors.

“ _Crap_ ,” huffed Ann. “What is this, a dungeon?”

“It would seem that way.”

“There’s definitely not a way out through here.” She wrapped her arms around herself, distressed. “We need to find a way to sneak back up to the entrance.”

“Let’s at least look around.” He led her forward, projecting confidence he didn’t fully feel. “Maybe there’s something that will help.”

“ _Or_ , we’ll just end up backing into a corner and _then_ what? Get taken back to Kamoshida?” Ann put her face in her hands. “I can’t believe I accepted a ride from that… that _asshole_! He’s such a- wait.”

She’d raised her eyes, and now she was staring ahead at one of the cells. She trotted forward, leaving Goro to hurry and catch up, and stopped to peer through the bars.

“...There’s _people_ in there.”

Sure enough, there was someone lying on a cot at the back of the cell, curled up with their back facing the bars. It was hard to tell in the gloom, but Goro was fairly certain the person was breathing.

“H-hey,” called Ann tentatively. “Are you awake?”

The person stirred, then sat up slowly, turning around to look at them. Ann gasped, taking a stumbling step back from the cell door.

“Th-that’s-”

Goro was equally shocked. The person in front of them was wearing what looked like a volleyball uniform - and, more importantly, seemed to have a volleyball for a head.

“Help me,” said the person groggily, though it wasn’t clear they could see them. “Help me, somebody. Anybody!”

“What the hell?” Ann wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “What the hell, what the hell, what the _hell_ -”

“Come on.” Goro grabbed her arm, though not tightly, and pulled her on. “We need to go.”

“Are… are we just gonna… _leave_ him in there?”

“We can’t do anything if we’re dead,” said Goro, voice calm even though he knew what he was proposing was… cold. “Let’s get out of here, then we can get help.”

At least it seemed to calm Ann down. “Right,” she said, miserably, but followed him.

* * *

Goro knew it couldn’t have been that long, but he felt like they had been wandering among the cell for hours. Often, they would have to duck behind something to hide from the guards that came by; other times, they had to find ways to get around obstacles, often crawling through holes in the stone or jumping over fallen bridges. To Ann’s credit, she kept up with him just fine as they maneuvered through the strange place.

The entire time, the sounds of prisoners screaming or pleading echoed around them. He knew it was wearing on Ann, but she wasn’t showing it anymore, focus on trying to find a different way out.

They stumbled on some kind of drawbridge after awhile. It was raised, and there didn’t seem to be any mechanism for lowering it. Ann got close, feeling around the wood.

“There has to be some way to lower this thing…”

Goro joined her in her search, but they weren’t getting anywhere fast. He moved away and started to walk around the area, alert for a switch or a crank somewhere nearby, and that’s when a voice, different from the moans and groans he’d heard up till now, called out to him.

“Hey! Hey, Pretty Boy!”

The voice drew him to a cell a few steps away. He walked over cautiously, peering inside… but he didn’t see anyone.

“Down here!”

He looked down, and stared.

Goro had seen a lot of strange things over the last twenty four hours, that was certainly true. Castles, monsters, one of his new teacher in a cape and underwear… but this. This took the cake.

The person in the cell (if it could even be called a person) was short, black, with a big head that looked almost like a cat’s, if it weren’t so… ridiculously proportioned. It had its little paws wrapped around the cell bars and was pulling at them ineffectually, looking up at him.

“Uh,” is all Goro had to say.

“You’re not a soldier, right!?” the little cat-demon-thing asked, its voice pleading. “Get me out of here! Look, the key’s right there!”

Goro followed where its paw was pointing, and saw the key dangling from a hook on the wall. He studied it, then turned back to the cell door.

Goro hesitated to think about it. If this thing was locked up in a cell, that meant it probably wasn’t on Kamoshida’s side. Still, it looked a little too much like one of those things Kamoshida’s guards had turned into. Goro couldn’t take it on its word that it wasn’t an enemy.

“...How do I know that you aren’t a soldier, yourself?” he asked calmly. “You look a bit like them.”

“Why would I be locked up if I was a soldier!?” the thing reasoned. “Help me out!”

“But then, what are you, if not one of them?” Goro tilted his head in thought. “A cat?”

Suddenly, the thing went from pleading to affronted. “I am _not_ a cat. Say that again and I’ll make you regret it!”

“Goro, what’s going on?” Ann abandoned her search, coming down to meet up with him. “Who are you talking t- aaaah!”

She cried out in surprise, side-stepping behind Goro as she stared at the cell. “Wh-what _is_ that!? An enemy!?”

“I think it’s a cat,” said Goro calmly, grinning down at the little creature. He wanted to see how it could possibly make him regret it from inside the cell… but then he noticed it wasn’t paying attention to him anymore.

“Wh...who are you?” it asked, eyes glued to Ann. She seemed to relax as she realized it wasn’t about to attack, locked behind bars as it was, and eased out from behind Goro again.

“Who are you!?” she snapped back, voice regaining its confidence. “You answer first!”

“I’m Morgana,” it said obligingly. “And you are?”

“Um… Ann Takamaki.”

It seemed to gasp. “Such a beautiful name… Lady Ann. How fitting.”

“Uhhh…”

Ann was just standing there like she wasn’t quite sure how to react to that; the thing (Morgana, right) was staring at her dreamily.

“I’m Goro Akechi,” he introduced to the air, and Morgana started like it (he?) had forgotten Goro was even there.

“Okay, so now that introductions are over,” his voice was considerably more harsh as he directed his attention to Goro, “can you _please_ let me out!?”

Goro looked at Ann, who shook her head. “I don’t know… should we?”

Goro put a hand to his chin. “We still aren’t sure if he’s an enemy… And it will be easier to move with just the two of us. Let’s leave him for now.”

“W-wait wait wait!” Morgana pleaded after them, reaching a paw through the bars. “I know where the exit is! Let me out and I can take you straight there!”

That got them to stop and reconsider. “He could be lying,” said Ann uncertainly.

“We don’t have a lot of options, though. We’ve wandered around too long already.”

“Quick, they’re coming!” chimed in Morgana, and sure enough, they could hear footsteps coming their way. “You don’t want to get caught and executed, right!? Let me out!”

They stared at each other a moment longer, then seemed to come to an unspoken decision, and Goro went to get the key.

The moment Morgana was out of the bars, he stretched happily, grinning ear to ear. “Ah… freedom tastes so great...” He turned then to Ann, executing a small bow of thanks. “I’m forever in your debt, Lady Ann.”

“Uh… you’re welcome.” The footsteps were growing louder, and Ann glanced their way fearfully before putting her attention back on Morgana. “You said you know where the exit is?”

“Of course!” Morgana trotted off toward the drawbridge, gesturing at them to come along.

“Follow me, and stay quiet.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P5R is out in Japan but I'm pretty much ignoring it for this story, sorry if you like the new characters.

Goro did his best to keep up with the path Morgana was leading them down, but there were so many twists and holes to crawl through that it was difficult. Part of him wondered why he even bothered - he never wanted to return to this terrible place. And yet, he still felt like he should keep a mental map in mind, just in case.

The presence of the people in the cages and cells worried him most of all, so for their sake, he tried to remember.

“Hey,” hissed Morgana after they had been walking for some time, pressing himself up against a wall. Goro and Ann quickly followed suit. “Do you hear that? They’re up ahead.”

Sure enough, Goro could hear the clank of honor, and quick commands snapped back and forth. Accompanying footsteps were coming toward them.

“How are we going to get around them?”

“We aren’t.” Morgana lashed his tail. “You can fight, right, Pretty Boy?”

Akechi set his jaw and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Okay.” Morgana glanced over his shoulder. “Just stay behind us, Lady Ann. I’ll protect you.”

“Wait, what are you gonna- aaah!”

Morgana leapt from his hiding place, startling the two guards and immediately causing them to morph into monsters, like before. Ann jerked back, instinctively moving behind Goro.

“H-hey, your clothes-!”

Goro looked down and realized his uniform had once again changed into the princely white outfit from before. But he was immediately distracted by Morgana, suddenly surrounded by a white light.

“Come! Zorro!”

And just like Robin Hood had before, a being materialized behind Morgana, this one black and holding a rapier that it slashed in a Z motion, just like the legendary hero. A gust of wind appeared, knocking one of the monsters back.

“The shadows have taken up an intercept position. But I can handle this.” Morgana pulled out a sword, hefting it easily. “Watch this, amatuer.”

Then he leapt forward, swinging his sword. The monster still hadn’t recovered from the wind, and was defeated easily, disappearing like before in a haze of black.

“Take care of the other one. I’ve got your back!”

Goro nodded, then reached for the same power as before. It was much easier this time - he removed his mask, and Robin Hood appeared behind him, ready to answer his call.

“Kouha!”

A blinding flash engulfed the monster, temporarily blinding it. Goro took the opportunity to spear it with his sword, just like Morgana had shown him.

Said cat-thing nodded in approval. “Not bad. Your persona is pretty powerful.”

“Persona? You mean, Robin Hood?”

“Right. That mask that you wear… Everybody has one deep within their heart. By removing that-”

Before Morgana could finish his explanation, Goro’s clothes changed once again to his normal school uniform. “Whoa!” yelled Ann from behind him.

“That keeps happening,” Goro remarked, looking over himself. Morgana hummed in thought.

“Looks like you don’t have full control over your power yet. The transformation doesn’t normally dissolve like that.”

“No?”

“No, see, in this palace, you’re seen as a threat, and because of that-”

“As _fascinating_ as this all is,” Ann abruptly interjected, glancing behind them with a worried frown, “weren’t we in the middle of escaping?”

“Of course, Lady Ann!” Morgana snapped to attention. “Let’s get you to safety. I can explain more later.”

He lead them forward again, down the hallway past more cells. Ann kept close to Goro, their footsteps sounding too noisy on the stone.

“There’s more people in there… I think… they’re wearing Shujin volleyball uniforms,” Ann gasped, eyes wide and horrified.

“Remember what I said before: we’ll get out of here, then get help,” Goro muttered to her.

“Come on you two! The entrance hall’s right up here!”

One more staircase and around a corner and Morgana finally stopped. “We’re here,” he whispered grandly.

“Finally,” huffed Ann. They followed him into a side room, and her tone abruptly changed. “Wait, this is a dead end!” She put her hands on her hips, staring Morgana down. “Did you trick us!?”

“No! I would never do that to you, Lady Ann.” Morgana held up his hands defensively. “There _is_ a way out in here.” He glanced over at Goro. “I just wonder if Pretty Boy can figure it out.”

Goro looked around the room. After a moment, his eyes landed on the solution, and he smiled.

“The ventilation shaft. How very clever, Morgana.”

“Ohhhh, I get it. That _is_ smart!”

Morgana seemed surprised at the praise, but his expression quickly shifted as he preened under their gaze. “W-well, this _is_ the most basic of basics. You two are lucky to have a master like me to guide you!”

“We are. And we’re grateful for you help.”

“Seriously, Morgana. You saved our butts.” Ann walked to a bookcase under the ventilation shaft, then seemed to reconsider. “Goro, you go first.”

“Of course.”

He pulled himself up onto the bookshelf and yanked at the mesh on the ventilation shaft. It took a few hard tugs, but it came out easily enough, and Goro set it aside as quietly as he could. Then he turned and held out a hand to help Ann onto the bookcase behind him. Then he looked back down at Morgana.

“What are you waiting for? Get going!”

“But what about you?”

“There’s something that I still have to do. We’re going our separate ways.”

“I see.” Goro nodded. “Thank you again, Morgana.”

“Yeah. Be safe, Morgana!”

“You too, Lady Ann. And Pretty Boy, I guess.”

He gave them a little wave, then Goro climbed into the vent, leading Ann toward sunlight.

* * *

“You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.”

“I can’t believe it.” Ann looked around the street, clutching her bag close to herself. “It’s like that castle was never here.”

The two of them exited the alleyway the same way they had what felt like a lifetime ago, to a totally normal Tokyo street, no medieval castle in sight. Instead, their school rose before them, as normal as any other. Ann stared at it like she had never seen it before.

“So was any of that… real? I mean, you saw it all too, right?” She looked back at him frantically. “The castle, the… cat thing, _Kamoshida_ -”

“Yes, I saw it all. Unless we’re sharing a delusion, it was all real.”

“Okay, I _don’t_ want to know if sharing a delusion is possible…” Ann put her face in her hands. “This is insane. What _was_ all that?”

“I’m not sure.” Goro pulled out his phone, unlocking the screen. Nothing seemed abnormal about it now, but hadn’t it just said, “ _returned_ to the real world”...?

Then he noticed the time, and sighed.

“Ah… seems like we’re late.”

“Huh? Oh… crap.” Ann pulled out her own phone, eyes wide. “Geez, it’s lunch… Oh! Wait, is that bad for you?”

“Well… it isn’t the best first impression I could make…”

“O-okay, don’t panic. I’ll… come up with a story for you! I mean, it’s not like we can say we were in a castle, people will think we’re crazy!”

“Hmm…” Goro put a hand to his chin in thought. “I don’t know if that would help… I saw your acting in there, after all.”

Ann gaped at him a moment, then a laugh escaped her lips, and another, and she gave him a light punch on his arm.

“You _jerk_. I can’t believe you’re joking after all this!”

“Who said it was a joke?” But he couldn’t help smiling, and then laughing at her stunned face, and then they were both laughing. It felt good, after being so tense for hours.

“Okay, _okay_ , so I’m not the best actor _ever_ , but I’ll try to keep you out of trouble. It’s the least I can do, right?”

“I’d appreciate that, Takamaki-san.”

“Ann.” She climbed the steps, leading him into the school. “I think we’ve made it to first name basis.”

They walked down the hallways, and more than a few heads turned their way from students milling around the halls. Goro heard the whispers following him as Ann led him toward the faculty room, clinging to him like lint.

“Is that him? Really?”

“I heard he was in a gang, selling drugs.”

“Why isn’t he in prison?”

“Is that Takamaki with him? Of course she likes _that_ kind of guy…”

Ann kept her back straight and her eyes forward, and Goro did the same. The feeling of being watched was maddening, but he felt saying something would only make it worse.

Soon enough, however, they reached the faculty office. Instantly shielded by the door, Goro felt a swell of relief, quickly crushed as Kawakami, his new homeroom teacher, turned to glare at him. She sighed in disgust, muttering, “Unbelievable,” under her breath. He opened his mouth to say something, but she charged ahead before he could.

“Being over half a day late on your _first day_?” Her eyes flicked to Ann, and her brow furrowed. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you cutting class too, Takamaki-san. You two better have not been engaged in some PDA somewhere.”

“Oh my god, Kawakami-sensei, it’s _totally_ my fault,” Ann began, wrapping one arm around her in a show of remorse. “I accidentally left my purse on the subway this morning, and you know, with all the reports of perverts on the train these days, Akechi-kun was nice enough to come with me! For, uh, you know… protection?”

Kawakami stared at her for a moment, then sighed again, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Okay, that excuse was _clearly_ fake. If I find out the two of you really were making out in an alley or something…”

“We really weren’t, Kawakami-sensei,” Goro interjected, smiling politely as he did so. “I honestly was just trying to help her out. I’m sorry it made us late for class; I’ll take full responsibility.”

He could tell from the look on Kawakami’s face that she didn’t buy it for an instant, but he could also tell she didn’t want to deal with it any longer - her expression was more irritated than angry. After a moment’s deliberation, she seemed to relent.

“Just don’t let it happen again. You were given fair warning yesterday, remember?” She turned her attention to Ann. “And you. He doesn’t need you helping him get into trouble.”

“No trouble here! We just wanna get back to class and, uh, learn. Right, Akechi-kun?”

“Right.”

“...Alright. Break’s almost over; I’ll introduce you when class resumes. You better be there.”

“We will! Come on, I’ll show you where it is!”

Ann led him quickly back out of the office, to a mostly deserted stairwell. She looked around to make sure they weren’t being followed then hissed under her breath, “So, what now?”

“What now is that we go to class,” said Goro at normal volume, and Ann quickly hushed him, holding a finger to her lips.

“No, I mean, what about the castle? There were people in there, and… and that weird cat thing-”

“Morgana.”

“And _Kamoshida_! What do we do about that? I always knew he was a creep, but...”

“I don’t know. I need to think. Nothing will be gained by rushing in.” Goro took his phone out, looking at the screen, and the red eye that seemed to glare at him. “And I need to look more at this. It’s definitely strange.”

“Okaaay, so… Do we just meet up again after school?”

“Let’s save it for tomorrow. I should go home immediately after school today…” Goro sighed. “I have a feeling Sakura-san isn’t going to be happy with me.”

“Sakura-san…?”

“He’s looking after me while I’m living here.”

“Oh. Right. Duh.” Ann bounced her palm against her forehead. “So, um… tomorrow, then?”

“Tomorrow.” Goro nodded confidently. “We start our investigation.”

“Oooh, investigation! I like it.” Ann grinned. “Then let’s get to class. We don’t want to get into any more trouble today.”

* * *

They made it back just as break was ending. Kawakami arrived shortly after, gesturing to Goro to stand at the front of the class, while Ann took her seat. Goro could hear people whispering about him, some more loudly than others, but tried to ignore it, keeping a polite smile on his face. He said his proper lines after Kawakami introduced him, still smiling, playing the part. It wasn’t winning him any admirers among the crowd, but that was okay - he just needed to keep his head down.

“Your seat will be… let’s see…” Kawakami looked around the room, silencing any more chatter before it could begin in earnest.

“Oh, there’s a free seat here, Kawakami-sensei!” Ann called, pointing at the empty seat behind her. Several of the students looked at her now, and he could see a few people lean over to whisper to friends in other seats, but Ann ignored it all, smiling brightly.

Kawakami frowned. “...Kanda-kun, why don’t you move to that seat, and let Akechi-kun take yours?”

The boy he assumed to be Kanda grumbled about having to move, but gathered his things and carried them to the empty window seat. Ann looked disappointed, but said nothing more as Akechi walked to his new seat and settled in.

As Kawakami started class again, Goro took sized up the boy in front of him. He’d noticed him as one of the only ones not whispering when he came in, and he’d averted his eyes as he walked down the aisle between desks. Goro noticed he had a few bruises and minor injuries on his face and neck.

“Mishima-kun, you’re on duty today, right?” asked Kawakami, and the boy seated in front of Goro rose to his feet.

“Everyone, please rise,” he said dully. Everything about him seemed lifeless, tired.

He stayed seated during their next break between classes, eyes down on his desk. No one seemed to be talking to him; Goro hoped it wasn’t because they were giving _him_ a wide berth. But as long as they were both sitting here, might as well try to make friends, right?

He leaned forward a bit, clearing his throat.

“Hi there. I thought I might introduce myself… I’m Goro Akechi.”

The boy glanced back at him, then let his eyes fall back to his desk.

“Yeah, I heard… I mean, when you introduced yourself to the class.”

“Right, but I think it’s nice to do more personal introductions.” Goro leaned back. “Do you mind telling me your name?”

The boy hesitated, then muttered, “Yuuki Mishima. Nice to meet you.”

“Hey, Mishima!” someone called, and Mishima jumped, bringing his head up. “Don’t talk to him. He’s not worth your time.”

“Guys on the volleyball team shouldn’t associate with guys like that,” another boy agreed.

_Volleyball team, huh?_

Mishima seemed caught in the headlights for a moment, then shrugged. “Just being nice…”

Goro debated whether to say something, but decided to turn his attention back to his books. The volleyball players seemed satisfied with their victory - it made Goro’s blood boil, but he kept quiet.

The day was almost over, after all. And he had bigger things to worry about.

* * *

“A talking cat...? Are you hallucinating from an overdose? I won’t put up with you if you’re simply joking around.”

“Well…” Goro puts his head in his hand, looking down at the table. “The drugs they gave me _were_ a bit strong… Heh heh…”

Niijima purses her lips, then pushes a photograph toward him. “The first person to receive a calling card from the Phantom Thieves was a former Olympic gold medalist, an alumnus of Shujin Academy. The PE teacher, Suguru Kamoshida. It’s true that he’s a deplorable criminal, but how could you have had a connection, when you had just transferred?” She taps the photograph. “The girl you’ve mentioned… was she one of his victims?”

“You’re jumping ahead in the story, now…”

“Why did you target him?”

“I _said_ ,” Goro raises his head, locking eyes, “you’re jumping ahead, Niijima-san.”

Niijima jumps up, slamming her hands on the table. “Answer the question. Why did you target him?”

“...Well, you said it yourself, Niijima-san. He was a deplorable criminal.” Goro smiles. “It was only a matter of time before someone took action against him.”

“And you decided that someone would be you. Why?”

“Sit down, and I’ll tell you.”

She glares down her nose at him, but slowly lowers herself back into her seat.

“Then start with that night.”

“I went home and was scolded by Boss. Then I went to bed.”

“And that’s all?”

* * *

“On your feet, Inmate!”

Goro opened his eyes groggily, seeing the now familiar sight of the jail cell. The chains were once again on his arms and legs, holding him on a short leash. The two girls from before were outside the door, glaring at him.

“Our master wishes to speak with you,” the calmer girl said as he got himself up off the cot. “It’s for your own sake that you take his words to heart.”

Goro shuffled to the door, wrapping his hands around the bars and looking out. There, like before, sat the man with the big nose at his desk, smiling like always.

“Is this going to be an every night thing? As much as I like these… chats, I _do_ have school in the morning…”

“We have much to discuss tonight. You’ve awakened to your powers, and special ones at that. Your rehabilitation can finally begin.”

“This power… You mean, Robin Hood?”

“It is the power of Persona. They are, in other words, a “mask” - an armor of the heart when confronting wordly powers. I have high expectations for you.”

“High expectations… that I’ll use this power? To do what?”

“There is no need to worry. You will learn when the time comes.”

“So you won’t answer my questions?”

“You’ll understand it all soon enough.” Igor gestured as though sweeping it aside. “By the by, have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces.”

“You mean the app.” Goro furrowed his brow. “And the castle?”

“I bestowed it to you as a means to train you as a thief.”

“It’s a gift!” snapped the guard, Caroline. “You better take care in using it, Inmate!”

“Devote yourself to your training so that you may become a fine thief.”

Goro opened his mouth to protest that he did not want to become a thief, but Igor spoke up again, changing the subject expertly.

“It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well. All that you may become an excellent thief.”

Goro heard the bell ring like before, and the wardens were sending him off. He still had so many questions, but before he could speak at all, he was opening his eyes to the dawn of a new day.

* * *

“...That's all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goro and Ann are better at this than Akira and Ryuji, sorry boys.


End file.
